


Ya Can't Jus Leave A Little Guy Out On The Streets

by orphan_account



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Ben Cook! Racetrack, Jack treats Race like a little brother and you can fight me, Most of the newsies are only mentioned by name, Young Newsies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:35:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Relationships: Crutchie & Jack Kelly, Racetrack Higgins & Jack Kelly
Kudos: 18





	1. 2 For a Penny

Jack Kelly was 13 as he roamed the streets of Manhattan in the hot summer heat. He had a pape in his hand and bag over his shoulder as he ran up to pedestrians and sold them on the wildest stories he could come up with. Some people just bought papes to humor him- his stories got a little too outrageous sometimes, such as "President Washington rose from the grave!" Or "There's a horse loose in the hospital!"

Soon enough, he was all out of papes and had a pocket full of coins. He stopped in one of the stores to buy an apple, a little something to munch on to hold him over. He smiled when he realized he could buy two fruits for just one penny. So he left the store with one more apple than he expected, and was on his way back to his penthouse when something caught his eye. He could've sworn something moved in the alley he had been passing by. 

He looked down at the apples in his hand and a small smirk came across his face. Maybe there was a reason why he was able to buy two apples today. Out of pure curiosity, he rolled the smaller apple down the alley. He took a bite of the one he still had as he watched the apple roll to a stop. He waited to see if anything would happen, tapping his foot as he did so. After a minute of nothing, he frowned. He let out a little sigh, maybe there was just a sale on apples. Nothing more. He decided to leave the apple there, just in case. He could check on it tomorrow. 

The next day eventually came around, and Jack followed his usual routine. He had all his papes sold by 5pm, and was headed home already. He always finished selling his papes before the rest of the other newsies. It was a talent of his. He went to the same store as he did yesterday and bought another two apples for a penny. He started to munch on one on his way home, mind occupied as he walked. 

Of course, he was thinking about the apple he left in the alley yesterday. He was fully expecting it to still be there, but he had just a little bit of hope that it wasn't. He didn't know why he was so hopeful that it was gone- maybe because that would just mean he didn't waste a perfectly good apple. He smiled as he saw the alley come into view, and with his fingers crossed, he looked down the alley the second he could get his head around the corner. 

To both his surprise and delight, the apple was gone. Well, most of it was at least. There was just an apple core left in its place, so something obviously ate it. He looked at the second apple in his hand- maybe there was a reason he could buy two after all. After a moment, he rolled it down the alley again. It knocked into the other apple core, stopping just a few inches away from it. Once again, Jack stood there waiting in anticipation for something to come take the apple. He waited longer than yesterday, but there was still nothing. 

He wasn't giving up without trying though. He let out a sigh, loud enough for whatever was down the alley to hear him. With that, he began to walk away again. Unlike yesterday, he stopped once he had passed the alley, leaning against the wall and turning around to look down it. He was at just the right angle, so he could see in but whatever was in there wouldn't be able to see Jack. 

Once again, to his surprise and delight, he saw something. A small, frail, and pale hand reached out to grab the apple. Arm stretching and fingers flexing to grab the fruit that was barely in reach. Just as fast as it came, it was gone. Whoever was back there snatched the apple up real quick, and Jack heard the crunch of someone biting into it almost immediately. 

He walked the rest of the way home satisfied, eating his own apple. He climbed up the ladder to get into his penthouse, coming face to face with a smiling Racetrack once he was at the top. 

"I beat youse back!" Race said proudly, head held high with his hands on his hips. 

Jack just chucked. Although he was only 13, he was one of the older newsies. Spot was a year older than him, but he was all the way out in Brooklyn. A bit of maturity came along with that, which included his paternal-like instincts over all the younger newsies. Racetrack was just 9, and followed Jack just about everywhere when they weren't selling papes. He smacked the brim of the small blondes hat lightly. "Yeah yeah, Ise got'sa reason"

That seemed to peak Race's interest again. "Did Snyder see ya?" He asked curiously, blue eyes looking up at Jack with a look that could only be described as admiration. "Youse should'a soaked 'im real good! Crush 'im with ya foot like a spider!" 

Jack shook his head fondly "Nah, found somethin' in an alley" he said, biting his apple one last time before tossing the rest to Race. They always shared food, Racetrack was like a little brother to Jack, as were the rest of the newsies. Jack was just that little bit closer to Race.

Race caught the apple with ease, bringing it up to his mouth to take a bite. "Whaddya find?" He asked, mouth still full of half chewed apple-bits. 

"A person, Ise think" Jack responded honesty "only seen 'is hand, but he looks smaller than youse." Race seemed to light up at that. Racetrack was the youngest newsie, right behind Specs and Albert, who were 10. He was a bit sick of being the little guy, and Jack couldn't blame him. He was always on the butt end of the jokes, hence why Jack let him sleep up here in the penthouse. 

"Well why don't we goes and gets 'im?" Race asked, tone hopeful. "Ya can't jus leave a little guy out on the streets" he then repeated Jack's words back to him. Jack found Race about two years ago when he was out with Tommy Boy. Tommy Boy was also a year older than Jack, and the only one older than Tommy Boy was Elmer, who was 15 currently. 

_Jack had spotted Race sitting on the curb while selling papes. When he approached, the only thing Race had was a small toy horse, and he was using his own legs as a racetrack. "What're youse doin' out 'ere all alone?" Jack had asked, one last pape in his hand._

_Race had looked up at Jack and shrugged. "Gots nowhere to goes."_

_"Where's ya Ma and Pa at?"_

_Race just shrugged, looking down at his lap. "They's gone"_

_Jack frowned. "Why don't ya come with us?" He offered, although that earned him an elbow from Tommy Boy. Jack shot the older boy a look. "What? Can't jus leave a little guy out on the streets"_

Jack nodded "youse gots me there." He admitted. "How's about after we sells our papes tomorrow, we goes and get 'im?" 

Racetrack nodded excitedly. Jack chucked once more, slinging an arm around the shorter boy's shoulder. "Now c'mon, Racer. I'm pretty sure they's gotsa a horse race downtown that we's gotsta sneak into"


	2. Works Like a Charm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would anyone like to see some backstory between Racer and Jack (possibly with Spot too depending on how this goes 👀)? Just lmk in the comments if interested.
> 
> Also, this story might end up being a little longer than I expected. I had a few extra ideas mid-way into writing this and it's coming out longer than I thought it would.

The next morning, Jack was awoken by Race. He was surprised Race even had any energy in him after last night- it was common knowledge that Race loved the horse races. It's where he got his nickname. He didn't have any money to bet this time, but his favorite horse still won. Of course, this resulted in the boy excitedly rambling about the race the whole way home. Jack didn't mind it. At least he was happy. 

"C'mon, we's gotsta get our papes!" Race said, shaking Jack by the shoulder as he kneeled next to him. 

Jack sat up straight after a moment, pushing Race's hands off him. "Calm down, headline ain't even up yet." Jack gave Race a light shove, more playful than anything. 

Race just groaned "Why can't we'd jus goes now?" He whined. The one downside to kids- they whine. Race just happened to be one of those kids who whined a lot. 

"'Cause. Now don't getcha panties in a twist." Jack grumbled. He had never really been a morning person. He really did seem to like them though. He was always one of the first newsies to get papes and hit the streets. That was more of just his ambition to be the best he could rather than being awake. 

Racetrack pouted, arms crossing over his chest. Jack just ruffled his blonde curls, reaching over next to him where Race's hat was abandoned and put it on his head with a gentle tug. Race always fell asleep on the other side of the penthouse, but more often than not he woke up next to Jack. If Jack ever noticed Race having red puffy eyes and tear stains on his cheeks in the morning, or was awoken at night by the smaller boy's sniffles as he moved closer to Jack, he never mentioned it.

Jack sighed as he pushed himself to his feet. "Youse is gonna help me sell them papes today" He said, pulling Racetrack to his feet by his arm gently. 

"Then we goes and gets the little guy?" Race said hopefully. Ah, that's why he wanted to get out so early. 

Jack nodded "sure, but youse can't scare 'im off" 

Race nodded "Ise won't" he said confidently. Jack wasn't so confident about that- if the kid was easily scared, Racetrack was sure to spook him. Race was loud and clingy, not something a scared person would like to see. 

"Lets go, other newsies are startin' to wakes up" Jack headed towards the ladder to climb down from the penthouse. He went first, waiting at the bottom for Race, just in case he slipped and fell. It hadn't happened before, but Racetrack has come close to plummeting a few feet once or twice before. Jack wasn't going to be taking any chances. 

Once Race was on the last few rungs, Jack picked him up off the ladder and placed him on the ground. Right before he got the chance to begin walking, he felt a small hand slip into his. See? Clingy. Jack didn't mind though, people saw it as cute, and cute sells more papes. 

They had to wait a good 10 minutes for the headline, which was spent with Race talking Jack's ear off while pacing as far as he could go while holding Jack's hand. The wait wasn't really worth it anyways, this was probably the worst headline of the month. 

**"Construction begins on Chicago's first skyscraper!"**

"Are youse kiddin' me?!" Jack couldn't help but to exclaim. What New Yorker would care about a skyscraper in Chicago? They're in New York for God sakes, skyscrapers are old news! Looks like today was a good day to bring Race along. Speaking of "Youse think ya gots any tears in ya, Racer?"

Race just shrugged in response. Jack took that as a maybe. If there was anything better than a cute little kid, it was a cute little kid who was crying. Jack dragged him over to buy the papes from Wiesel and the Delanceys- he tried to keep Race from snarking them too much as they bought their papes. Last thing he needed was one of the Delanceys going after Race. 

Once they had their bags and papes, they hit the streets of Manhattan. They walked till they found a busy street lined with shops. People going to the shops always had money on them. 

Jack let out a breath as he scanned the crowd. His eyes landed on a mother with a baby, both dressed in clothing worth more than what all the newsies made in a week combined. "Race?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Youse see that Moth'a?" Jack waited for Race to look through the crowd, then confirm with a a nod. "Youse is hungry, haven't eaten in a day or so." Was all Jack needed to say before Race was in action. 

"Jackieee" the small blonde whined, pulling on Jacks arm just enough to make sure the woman would see them. Once he was sure he had her attention, he continued. "I'm hungry" he whined again with a pout. 

Jack rolled his eyes, letting out a huff "then youse better sell them papes so youse can eat later" he replied easily. They've used this scheme before, worked like a charm. 

"But I'm hungry nows!" Race whined, voice increasing in volume as he stomped his foot. Jack looked down at him and could already see Race was pushing tears to the front of his eyes. Jack really had trained him well. 

"Youse got money now?" Jack asked in response, eyebrow quirked. 

And then when Race was able to make the tears spill over. He pulled Jack ever so slightly to the right again, putting the two of them directly in the walking path of the mother. Race managed to force out a sob- needles to say, Jack was impressed. No wonder he was home so early last night. "Jackie pleease! Ise hungry nows!" He cried out.

Jack looked up, noticing the mother had stopped in her tracks. She clearly looked conflicted, which is exactly what Jack needed. "Sorry ma'am- I promised my broth'a an apple for 'is birthday." When a frown formed on the mother's face, he knew he pushed her over the edge. 

"Well, how old are you today, little one?" The woman asked Race. Instead of responding, he just hid himself behind Jack, teary eyes peeking out from behind the older boy as Race gripped his arm still. That one was a trick Jack had taught him- shy and timid was adorable to most women, while with men acting brave and hard-working seemed to work better. 

Jack shook his head " 'im is shy. An' He wonders why he can't sell papes. He's seven." He answered for Race, the small boy just nodding in confirmation behind Jack. 

The mother let out a sigh through her nose. "How much for a paper?"

"Nickel"

The mother then reached into her pocket with the hand that wasn't holding her baby on her hip. Out of the pocket, she pulled out a dime. "I'll take two" she said, passing the dime into Jack's free hand. 

"Go on Race, youse heard the lady. Two papes" Jack said, watching through brown eyes as Race scrambled to reach into his bag and pull out two papes, thrusting them into the hand of the woman. "Whaddya say?"

"Thank youse" Race mumbled, and the woman walked away with a small smile on her face. 

Jack watched the mother go, waiting until she was out of earshot to return his attention to Race, who was now next to him instead of behind. "Nice goin' kid" he said, holding out his hand for a highfive. 

Race smiled proudly, slapping Jack's hand with his own free one. "And youse remembered!" He then said happily, already beginning to tug Jack down the sidewalk again. 

"Remembered what?" Jack then asked, the confusion obvious in his voice. 

Race just laughed, borderline giggled. "Youse knows! Quit playin' dumb. It's my birthday!" He said happily. 

Jack just decided to go along with that one, looking at the date at the top of the papes he had to confirm it was in fact Race's birthday. "Oh yeah- course I remembered. Youse is my broth'a"

It almost gave Jack whiplash. Race was already 10 years old. He remembered little 7 year old Race sitting alone on the curb like it was yesterday. Time really does fly. 

Jack let Race drag him over to the next poor soul they'd trick into buying papes. After only a few hours, they had managed to sell all their papes through skits and schemes. Race turned to him with a beaming smile once the last pape was gone. "Nows we goes and gets 'im?" He asked excitedly. 

Jack gave a single nod "yep, let's go"


End file.
